Tim Labesis arrested in murder-for-hire sting

OCEANSIDE, Calif. (AP) - The lead singer of Grammy-nominated heavy metal band As I Lay Dying was arrested Tuesday in Southern California as authorities said he tried to hire an undercover detective to kill his estranged wife.

Tim Lambesis, 32, was arrested at a retail business in Oceanside, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department said in a statement.

The statement said detectives received information Thursday that Lambesis had solicited someone to kill his wife, who lives in nearby Encinitas. A task force from several law enforcement agencies quickly launched an investigation that led to the arrest.

The department would give no further details on the investigation.

As I Lay Dying formed in San Diego in 2000 and has released six albums including 2007's An Ocean Between Us, which reached No. 8 on Billboard's charts. A track from the album was nominated for a Grammy for top metal performance.

It was not clear whether Lambesis had hired an attorney, and a phone message seeking comment left at a number listed in his name was not immediately returned.

According to its website, the band is scheduled to tour the country with several other metal acts starting later this month.

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